It's not a FoI issue; it's a data protection issue. It all depends on the
way loan records were noted in the organisation's registration under the
Data Protection Act with the Office of the Information Commissioner. If the
purpose of the records was only for routine library management and
housekeeping, for collecting fines, for making decisions on further
purchases and the like - but nothing else - then there is a difficulty in
using them for another purpose, no matter how worthy. However, if the
registrtation included the purpose of investigating potential disciplinary
matters, then there would be no problem in exploring them for evidence of
plagiarism or other academic misconduct. So check your registration
document!
Charles
Professor Charles Oppenheim
Department of Information Science
Loughborough University
Loughborough
Leics LE11 3TU
Tel 01509-223065
Fax 01509-223053
e mail [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Browning" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 9:06 AM
Subject: Library records/ plagiarism
> Has anyone on the list any views concerning issues surrounding the use of
a
> student's loan history as evidence for suspected plagiarism? Does this
> effect any freedom of information issues?
>
> I'd appreciate any thoughts on this - thanks!
>
> Chris Browning
> Assistant Librarian
> Sibthorp Library
> Bishop Grosseteste College
> Lincoln
>
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